This latest renaissance comes after a period of introspection and reinvention for Hayden. Having fronted indie band Anteros for the better part of a decade, she found herself at a crossroads following the release of their debut album in 2019. The experience left her feeling depleted, both mentally and physically. "I realised that I'd put everything in my life aside in the hopes that making an album would make it all better," she confides. "My mental health was a mess, I was anorexic... just everything was upside down. I felt like I needed to hit the pause button and deal with the mountain of shit that was only getting bigger."

What followed was a two-year hiatus from music, during which Hayden immersed herself in studies of positive psychology, holistic health, nutrition, yoga, and meditation. It was a period of intense self-discovery and healing. "It was like I needed to go back to school and learn how to be human," she reflects. This journey of self-exploration didn't just reshape Hayden's approach to life; it fundamentally altered her relationship with music.

But rather than turning her back on music entirely, Hayden's sabbatical seems to have rekindled her love for the craft. Her return to the studio, collaborating with producer Ben Christophers in Hertfordshire, has been a revelation. "He creates a magic environment where I get to quiet the outside noise and just let my inner child run free," she says, with the air of an artist finally free to do what she wants to do.